'Roseanne' Cast: Where Are They Now?

Roseanne': Where Are They Now?

'Roseanne' broke the mold of the traditional family sitcom. The Conners, headed by a brash matriarch, were an unglamorous blue-collar family in small-town Illinois. The nine-season series (1988-1997) mixed comedy with the heavy issues of domestic violence, homosexuality, unemployment, teen sex, abortion and alcoholism.

Its final season was a disappointment (winning the lottery?), made more strange in the series finale when it was revealed that the various plot twists were part of Roseanne Conner's fictionalized writings about her family.

However, the series ranked in the top four of the nation's most-watched shows for most of its tenure, won four Emmys, three Golden Globes and a Peabody Award and served as a launching pad for John Goodman, Sara Gilbert, George Clooney, Sarah Chalke and Roseanne herself. -- By Aimee Deeken

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Roseanne Barr
Played: Roseanne Conner

Then: Roseanne won an Emmy, a Golden Globe and five People's Choice awards for her role as the domineering, caustic mom who parented with heavy doses of sarcasm. The character was an extension of her 1980s stand-up comedy routine in which the "domestic goddess" addressed issues of weight, housewives and working-class America -- topics based on the dysfunctional family in which she grew up.

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Roseanne Barr
Played: Roseanne Conner

Now: The never controversy-shy comic (screeching through the "Star Spangled Banner") returned to stand-up with a European tour, an HBO special ('Roseanne Barr: Blonde and Bitchin'') and a headlining stint in Vegas. She recently posed as a mustachioed homemaker Hitler (baking "Jew cookies") for edgy Jewish magazine Heeb. On her blog, she's waxed controversial about Arabs, Kabbalah, Britney Spears and Angelina Jolie. At the other extreme, the Jewish grandma recorded original songs for a children's DVD. Next up, Roseanne will be one of the comedians for Showtime's 2010 series 'Behind the Green Door.' She's been married and divorced three times (see: Tom Arnold) and has five children.

Valerie Macon, Getty Images

John Goodman
Played: Dan Conner

Then: Goodman was already well known on Broadway and had starred in 'The Big Easy' and the Coen brothers' 'Raising Arizona'; but 'Roseanne' made his career. When he was cast as the working-class Everyman, Roseanne said she had a "big crush on him from the start." But by the penultimate season, their working relationship had frayed and Goodman walked off the set at one point and returned only at producers' urging. Still, the actor won a Golden Globe and earned seven Emmy nominations for his realistic, humor-infused portrayal of a patriarch struggling to pay the bills and maintain marriage and family.

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John Goodman
Played: Dan Conner

Now: The renowned actor's prolific career boasts an eclectic range: Coen brothers' films ('The Big Lebowski' and 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?'), 'The Babe,' 'King Ralph,' 'The Flintstones,' Martin Scorsese's 'Bringing Out the Dead,' 'Beyond the Sea,' 'Speed Racer' and 'Confessions of a Shopaholic.' He's lent his voice to animated TV and the movies 'Cars,' 'Bee Movie,' this month's 'The Princess and the Frog' and most famously 'Monsters, Inc.', in which he and co-star Billy Crystal sang an Oscar-winning song. He had a successful run on 'The West Wing,' an Emmy nod for a 'Studio 60' guest spot and has hosted 'SNL' 13 times. Last summer he starred in Broadway's 'Waiting for Godot' revival, and off screen, the New Orleans resident has lent much support to the city's recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

Florian Seefried, Getty Images

Laurie Metcalf
Played: Jackie Harris

Then: Metcalf was a charter member of Chicago's groundbreaking Steppenwolf Theatre troupe, and as Roseanne's neurotic little sis, she had many jobs (police officer, truck driver, diner co-owner) and many relationships. The latter allowed the series to confront domestic violence, divorce and single parenting. In the series finale, when we learn that much of the last season was the fictional writing of the Roseanne character, it was revealed that Jackie was a lesbian all along. One sign of good acting: Jackie's abusive boyfriend Fisher, played by Matt Roth, became Metcalf's real-life husband.

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Laurie Metcalf
Played: Jackie Harris

Now: Metcalf won three Emmys for 'Roseanne,' and on the big screen she had roles in such diverse films as 'JFK,' 'Leaving Las Vegas' and 'Scream 2,' but is probably best known as Andy's mom in 'Toy Story.' After the series, she starred in TV's 'The Norm Show,' had a fun story arc on 'Desperate Housewives' in '06 alongside hubby Roth and currently plays Sheldon's mom on 'The Big Bang Theory' (which stars fellow 'Roseanne' alum Johnny Galecki). Metcalf currently stars in Broadway's revival of Neil Simon's 'Brighton Beach Memoirs' and will voice Andy's mom in 'Toy Story 3.' She, Roth and their two children live on a farm in Idaho.

Janette Pellegrini, Getty Images

Alicia "Lecy" Goranson
Played: Becky Conner

Then: Becky was the eldest daughter, an overachieving but rebellious teen who had no patience for her younger siblings, especially Darlene. She and her biker boyfriend Mark eloped and left for Minneapolis, but eventually moved back to Lanford -- first with the Conners, then into a nearby trailer. Goranson had the role for the first four seasons, was "in Minneapolis" in season 5 (while attending Vassar College), and played Becky again in season 8.

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Alicia "Lecy" Goranson
Played: Becky Conner

Now: The Brooklyn resident has appeared on 'Law & Order: SVU,' 'Sex and the City' and 'Fringe.' Small film roles include 'How to Make an American Quilt' and 'Boys Don't Cry' in which she also sings on the soundtrack. You'll next see her on the big screen in the 2010 comedy 'The Extra Man,' with Katie Holmes, John C. Reilly and Kevin Kline.

Todd Williamson, Getty Images for TV Land

Sara Gilbert
Played: Darlene Conner

Then: Tomboy Darlene's strong will and sarcasm matched Roseanne's acerbic wit. Darlene left her working-class roots to attend art school in Chicago (while Gilbert attended Yale in real life, sometimes shooting scenes on a New York soundstage). Darlene was romantically attached to David (Johnny Galecki) -- Becky's boyfriend's little brother -- for much of the series, apart from a brief fling with Jimmy ('That '70s Show''s Danny Masterson). She and David eventually married and had a son in the series finale.

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